Pseudorhabdosynochus bunkleywilliamsae facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pseudorhabdosynochus bunkleywilliamsae
Body and sclerotised parts
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Platyhelminthes
Class:	Monogenea
Subclass:	Monopisthocotylea
Family:	Diplectanidae
Genus:	Pseudorhabdosynochus
Species:	bunkleywilliamsae
Binomial name
Pseudorhabdosynochus bunkleywilliamsae Kritsky, Bakenhaster & Adams, 2015

Pseudorhabdosynochus bunkleywilliamsae is a tiny parasite that lives on the gills of a fish called the Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus). It is a type of flatworm known as a monogenean. Scientists Kritsky, Bakenhaster, and Adams first described this worm in 2015.

What Does It Look Like?

Pseudorhabdosynochus bunkleywilliamsae is a very small worm. It is only about 420 to 697 micrometers long. To give you an idea, a micrometer is one-millionth of a meter! This means you would need a microscope to see it clearly.

Like other worms in its group, it has a flat body. It also has a special organ at its back called a haptor. The haptor helps the worm stick firmly to the gill of its host fish. The haptor has two special disc-like structures called squamodiscs, one on the top and one on the bottom.

How Did It Get Its Name?

This interesting worm was named after Dr. Lucy Bunkley-Williams. She is a scientist from the University of Puerto Rico. Dr. Bunkley-Williams has done a lot of research on fish parasites in Puerto Rico. She, along with Dr. Ernest Williams, found and saved the first samples of P. bunkleywilliamsae. These samples were then used by other scientists to describe the new species.

Where Does It Live?

The Nassau grouper, Epinephelus striatus, is the only known host of Pseudorhabdosynochus bunkleywilliamsae

The only known host for Pseudorhabdosynochus bunkleywilliamsae is the Nassau grouper. This is a type of fish found in the ocean. The only place where this parasite has been found so far is La Parguera, which is in Puerto Rico.